Ranchi: Jharkhand State Mnrega Employees Union has decided to gherao the Jharkhand Assembly on 1st August and the Rural Development Minister’s residence on 8th August to fulfill their pending demands.
With this decision, the union has also informed Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the Rural Development Minister, Principal Secretary, Rural Development Department, Mnrega Commissioner, and Deputy Commissioners and Deputy Development Commissioners of all the districts. State President John Peter Bage said that Mnrega workers have been struggling continuously for 14 years but till now neither the service has been made permanent nor the pay scale has been given.
Before the formation of the government, Chief Minister Hemant Soren had promised to make the service of the employees permanent and give them pay scale. The workers also went on an indefinite strike from 29 July 2020 to 10 September 2020 for their demands. After this, the strike was called off after assurances from the departmental ministers and officials.
Everyone went back to work but till date no concrete work has been done in the direction of fulfilling their demands he said adding that in the past once again the assurance was received it was expected that the proposal would come in the cabinet meeting but in the last meeting also this could not happen and in such a situation there is no option left before the organization except starting an agitation.
The other main demands include, the state President of Mnrega Employees Union Anirudh Pandey and Dhanbad District President Mukesh Ram who were sacked in the indefinite strike of 2000, should be reinstated. They should be given an opportunity to present his case before the Appellate Authority.
The service conditions rules should be amended, reservation in government appointments and relaxation in age limit, adjustment of workers on the basis of work experience in the appointment of Panchayat Secretary etc.